(My) Love Shall Set You Free
by PierceTheVeils
Summary: After a month of being the New Republic's prisoner, Ciena Ree isn't optimistic about her chances of getting out with her youth intact... until Thane interrupts her meeting with her lawyer with a proposal. A proposal Ciena would never have considered from anyone else. Direct sequel to canon novel Lost Stars by Claudia Grey.
1. Chapter 1

(My) Love Shall Set You Free

Chapter One

"Say what you will. I'm not talking."

"At this point, it's your only chance. The Provisional Senate is passing new laws every day, each one digging you deeper into this cell. If you want to be out of here before you're forty, you need to tell them what you know before they get the information from elsewhere. You're running out of time to accept this plea deal."

Ciena Ree knew all this, of course. Her lawyer, Miles Wright, gave her the same speech every time he came to visit. So much for Thane speaking up on her behalf. "Then I have some hard years ahead of me. When does my trial begin?"

Mr. Wright groaned, glasses catching the glint of the energy field as he scrolled through his datapad. "Next week. It doesn't have to end badly, you know. Do you still refuse to testify or call Thane Kyrell and Kendy Idele as witnesses, even though both have offered to serve as such?"

He paused, as if expecting Ciena to answer his question. When she said nothing, he continued. "Your refusal is… unusual, Miss Ree. Perhaps you know this already, but I am tasked with the defense of over three dozen Imperial prisoners. You once outranked each one, yet your path to freedom is the simplest of all. You never targeted civilians, you never ordered nor conducted torture or excessive force against your enemy's fighters… you even have a built in sob story about potential coercion due to your mother's imprisonment. Imagine it. A young girl of your, er," he cleared his throat, then gestured in the general direction of her figure, "appearance crying on the stand? The only thing standing in your way of the exit door is yourself."

The implication Ciena would use her looks to avoid jail time stung. She jerked her head up, knocking loose tendrils of hair back. "Then perhaps you should cut your time short here and help your other clients. I will not betray my oath to the Empire by sharing intel. I am guilty of every charge your list specifies. Thank you for your time, Mr. Wright."

Her middle-aged public defender shook his head, sighing. He pushed a button on his datapad, staring at nothing as its screen faded to black. "You're wasting your life here, Miss Ree. Your options are limited to two: take a plea deal or plead your case in trial. There is no third escape option. I hope you know that."

Ciena didn't honor that with a response. "Goodbye, Mr. Wright."

"Goodbye, Miss Ree. See you in your tri-"

"Wait, Mr. Wright! Don't leave yet."

Ciena heard the pounding of his bootsteps before she saw him. Thane turned the corner in a huff, still wearing half a flight suit. "I have something I want to do. According to local law, I need a 'legally qualified witness' present for it to be recognized."

"Thane, calm down. I'm not going anywhere," Ciena said. It was quite literally true. "What are you in such a hurry for? Why do you need Mr. Wright here? What has to be recognized?"

"Yes, what is this, young man? I'm rather busy today."

Thane threw his own datapad up onto the surface of the energy shield, ignoring the crackling noises it made. "Remember when I said I'd wait for you, Ciena? That I love you and that you're the only woman I'll ever want to spend my life with?"

"I don't think you used so many words…." What was this? What was Thane trying to show her? Ciena squinted, trying to read the words on Thane's datapad. It was a legal document of some kind, but that was all she could discern. The words themselves were blurry. "I remember the meeting. Now what's gotten into you? Why the rush?"

"I don't have time to explain. I'm… not actually cleared to visit you right now. I may have tricked a guard or two." Thane took a second to glance behind him. "But we promised we'd wait for each other, and I thought 'why wait until you're out of here? That might take a few years, and when you know, you know.' So, um… how do the valley folk do it? Oh, I don't remember. I'll just…" Thane took a step back, then fell down onto one knee. "Ciena Ree. Will you marry me?"

Ciena froze. Words sprung up and died on her lips as she locked eyes with her childhood friend. But he wasn't just that. He was her sole lover, her greatest conflict, her determined savior… Thane Kyrell. What was he thinking?

Thane's eyes flashed with desperation when Ciena didn't respond right away. "Ciena, please. I'm about to fly out on a new mission. I just got back here from meeting with some new provisional Senators. Spending my life with you after the war ends is my two biggest fantasies combined into one. I never thought either one would be possible, and now that both are, I don't want to wait for anything else to come between us. I know this isn't the nicest venue to marry in, but we can always have a better ceremony later. Jelucan valley traditional. Whatever you like."

"This is why you're keeping me here?" Mr. Wright glanced at his chrono. "Well… I'm a criminal lawyer. This is outside my area of expertise; however, I believe I would count as a legally qualified witness if the two of you sign the marriage contract. I would simply have to mark my signature at-"

"The bottom of the form, yes." Thane blew past the lawyer's comments. His eyes remained locked on Ciena. "What do you say, Ciena?"

"This… is all so sudden. I never expected this. All I ever let myself hope for was that the war would end without you dying. Now that it's coming true, I have no idea what I want next in life. The way my trial's bound to end, I won't be doing much of anything for a long time." Ciena's shoulders hunched inward, old thoughts creeping back into her mind. "Are you sure you still want me?"

"Yes, yes. By all the stars in the galaxy, _yes_. I'll keep my promise to wait for your freedom. All I want to do is add a firmer commitment to what I've already said." Thane rose to his feet. "If you want to be with me the way I want to be with you, say yes. Marry me, Ciena."

Ciena turned her head down for a second. When she lifted her gaze back up, a small smile graced her features. The first in a long time. "I'm still, um, shocked, but… yes, Thane. I will marry you. What do I need to do?"

"You will? Great! I-I could just-" Thane went to embrace her before he remembered there was an energy shield still in place. He did a little scamper as he scrolled to the relevant part of his marriage contract. Ciena noticed Thane had already signed the places that called for his signature. "You only have to mark your signature in two places. The first certifies that your marriage to me is legally binding and done out of your own free will, and the second confirms that, as the spouse of a New Republic soldier, you are the full beneficiary of my new pension in the event I am not able to collect, half beneficiary if I am. You will also be on all of my government-sponsored insurance plans."

Ciena paused. "I have to sign both?"

"Yes. If you don't sign the second one, the inheritor of my pension is whoever in my family claims it first. I refuse to give my father a single credit."

Ciena could understand that. One thing still didn't make sense, however. "How do I sign documents from my cell? Do we have to call a guard?"

Mr. Wright raised a finger to that question. "As your lawyer, I can confirm that prisoners, with witnesses present, may have their signature affixed to legal documents by another so long as they offer clear verbal consent. All you have to do is ask your…" he rolled his eyes, "husband to sign your name in your place. I have to sign next to such places to show that this action was taken on your behalf. It's how your plea deal would have occurred, had you accepted one."

Husband. It was strange to hear someone say it out loud. Ciena would need some time to get used to the idea. "Alright. I agree to let Thane sign the marriage contract in my place."

"Yes!" Thane wasted no time filling out the forms on his datapad. Never in her twenty-three years of life had Ciena seen someone get so excited about paperwork.

Once Thane was done, he handed the datapad off to Mr. Wright, who read through everything at an excruciatingly slow pace. Thane was leaning over his shoulder so much, Mr. Wright had to shove him away more than once. "Young man, I am trying to do my due diligence. You will not deceive my client into signing anything other than what you claim is stored on this datapad."

For all his burlishness, Ciena really lucked out in getting Mr. Wright as her legal counsel. She hadn't expected much of anything, but talking to other prisoners in the exercise yard made her realize just how much Mr. Wright cared about doing his job. Ciena silently promised to remember him. If there ever came a time in which she could pay him back for his help, she wanted to be ready.

"Are you done yet?" Thane glanced at the lawyer's chrono from behind. "Are you almost there?"

"I'd finish faster if you weren't hovering over me. Even given your explanation earlier, I hardly see the need to rush." Mr. Wright scrolled through the datapad for another full minute, then used his finger to sign the designated sections. "Everything seems to be in order. Send these files to your regional administrator, whomever that is in this New Republic, and the pair of you will be officially married."

"By… six minutes before time. Yes!" Thane snatched his documents back from Mr. Wright's hand. "I know exactly who to send these to. Loading… loading... received!" He smiled at Ciena, his crooked teeth on full display. "We did it! We're married."

"We are." Even from her spot in the cell, Ciena couldn't help being excited. The way Thane grinned at her sent shivers of warmth to her abdomen, overriding any lingering soreness she felt down there. For the first time in many months, Ciena felt whole. "Thanks, Thane. This means a lot to me."

"Yeah? Because it's about to get even better." Thane's smile widened ever further as he spoke, giving him the approximate appearance of a madman. "Mr. Wright! Have you been keeping up with the new laws the Provisional Senate's been passing in their current session?"

Mr. Wright, who had been slinking away until his name was mentioned, froze in his tracks. He turned back towards the couple for his reply. "Only the laws that relate to the trying and handling of Imperial prisoners. Other than those, my knowledge is only cursory."

"Do you know what law they just passed this morning?"

Mr. Wright furrowed his brow. "Something to do with granting immunity to New Republic soldiers accused of war crimes by former Imperial worlds? 'May no one suffer for their efforts to return democracy to the galaxy' and somesuch?"

Thane pointed to Mr. Wright with his arm outstretched, swaggering to close the distance between them. "Precisely. New Republic soldiers… and the beneficiaries of New Republic military pensions. That amendment was written into the law to offer protection to deceased rebels as well as their next of kin, just in case some petty ex-Imp tries to take revenge on them too. The cut off date for such beneficiaries to be covered by this law is…" Thane's grin morphed into a smirk, "right this second."

Mr. Wright's jaw dropped. His eyes blinked rapid fire, and his arm muscles went slack. If Ciena hadn't known better, she'd have taken him for a well disguised droid suffering malfunctions.

Then, just as quickly as Mr. Wright had reacted, he composed himself. The lawyer nodded to Thane, the beginnings of a smile spreading to his own face. "Well played, young man. You cut it close, though."

Ciena hadn't composed herself yet. Her jaw was locked so tight, it took a conscious effort to unscrew. "Wait. What's happening?"

Before either man could respond, a pair of New Republic prison guards ran up to join the group. Both gestured to Thane simultaneously. "Hey! You there. You aren't supposed to be here."

"No, _she_ isn't supposed to be here." Thane turned to Ciena with victory in his eyes. "That woman is my wife and the beneficiary of my military pension. In accordance with New Republic law as of today, she is immune from any and all war crime tribunals."

The tightness from Ciena's jaw spread down the rest of her body. It was as if someone had just stunned her, but unconsciousness never came. All she could do was freeze. Thane, Mr. Wright, and the guards continued to argue in front of her, but Ciena tuned them out. Her thoughts rang louder than anything those four were saying.

He'd done it. Thane had twisted the law in a way that would get her out of jail. Just like he'd promised he would.

Ciena knew she should be happy. She should be jumping for joy with the weightless feeling of elation. So why was her body bolted to the spot?

She hadn't known her freedom was on the line when she'd agreed to marry Thane. Her intentions in accepting his proposal had been perfectly honorable. Knowing Thane, he'd hid the fact from her for that very reason.

Ciena appreciated his care for her values, but… what did that say about his? Here he was, celebrating how he'd deceived her. Had he only wanted to marry her to free her from jail? Ciena knew she should be grateful, and now wasn't the ideal time to ask, but the thought had her paralyzed. She wanted to repair a real relationship, not start a marriage of convenience.

Her ears tuned back in right as one of the guards threw their hands up in surrender. "Fine! Fine. She has to stay in town until the magistrate confirms this is real. I… will talk to the warden about a supervised release." He scoffed. "Stupid loopholes."

"A law protecting rebel soldiers that gets an Imp out of jail. Who woulda thought?"

"Laws have unintended consequences all the time. They're created by people, and people are far from perfect." Ciena no longer felt bad about her lack of enthusiasm. Thane was happy enough for the both of them. "What are you waiting for? Lower the energy shield!"

One guard stormed off, presumably to find the warden. The other one sighed, then punched a code into the panel by Ciena's cell. In a single blink, the silvery sheen separating Ciena from Thane disappeared from her vision. Thane barrelled into her cell, flight suit pieces pressing against Ciena's stomach as he threw his arms around her. The warmth of Thane's touch gave Ciena the power to move once more, and she returned his embrace with all her strength.

"I came back for you. I made it right. Ciena… this is it." Thane whispered in her ear, leaning back to kiss her cheek. "This is the ending we deserve."

"Ending?" Ciena teased, letting some humor creep into her expression. "We're just getting started, aren't we?"

"Damn right we are."

Ciena could have stayed in his arms forever. Then she remembered. "Wait. Don't you have a mission you need to leave on? Am I keeping you from your duty? What about-"

Thane cut her off with a peck on the lips. "As it just so happens, I did have a mission here today. Free the wrongfully imprisoned woman from her cage in the desert. It was a smashing success."

And so it was. The warden arrived shortly after. Though flabbergasted, she agreed with Thane and Mr. Wright that Ciena could not lawfully be held in detention any longer. The New Republic couldn't even hold Ciena on house arrest or probation. By the act of their own Senate, she was free to leave with Thane. Her husband.

Nope. Still not used to it.

* * *

**A/N's: Fun Fact: Ciena's public defender Miles Wright is inspired by characters from my other big fandom: Ace Attorney. His name is a combination of the game series's two most famous attorneys: Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth. However, his age and appearance is (in my mind) a slightly younger Winston Payne. I'm sure this means nothing to most of my readers, but I thought I'd throw that out there.**

**I had this idea when I was reading the last scene of Lost Stars and Thane insists he'll get Ciena out by appealing to his contacts in the new government. I closed the book at the end, dried my TEARS (seriously, the novel is amazing. Gray always knows how to hit me in the feels), and brainstormed ways Thane could fill that promise. Sure, he could just talk to someone with pardoning power and get Ciena out directly, but where's the fun in that? Why not a little legislative lobbying? The conditions behind the law Thane uses will be better explained in the next chapter, but until then, appreciate his genius level thinking. Ciena sure isn't.**

**This fic is a bit spur of the moment (outside my "normal" writing schedule), so not sure when an update will be out. Until then, thanks for reading, hope you leave a comment below, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	2. Chapter 2

(My) Love Shall Set You Free

Chapter Two

"Here comes the bride! Here comes the bride!" Thane chanted as he and Ciena escaped the prison's walls. Even at sunset, the desert heat was unbearable. It would cool down quickly when night fell, though. Ciena had been on Jakku long enough to know that.

Thane took her hands in his and spun her around. The two danced in front of a squadron of New Republic guards, ignoring the glares shot their way as they did. Ciena laughed at Thane's antics. The whole thing felt like a dream. "I swear, I'm about to wake up and lose you again. I'm too happy right now."

"Well believe it, Ciena. I'm here for you," Thane promised, cupping her face as he did so. "I'll never leave you again."

"I hope not," Ciena replied, placing her hand over his. "We have too much to catch up on to spend any more time apart."

"I'm so glad you agree." Thane beamed, leading her to his ship. He'd taken an empty cargo transport for this trip. It was no beauty, but it was the only ship (save his single passenger X-wing) he'd been able to commandeer on short notice, and Thane had been more concerned with getting his provision passed than securing transportation. But he had remembered one other thing. "Here, take these clothes. They're Kendy's. They may not fit you perfectly, but it's better than wearing an inmate uniform everywhere."

Ciena caught the bundle he threw to her. "Thank you, Thane. I'll change on the ship." She paused. "Where are we headed?"

"Hanna City, Chandrila. We have a celebration to attend."

"A celebration?" Ciena unfolded the clothes, noticing just then that Thane had handed her a dress and shoes. "Of what?"

"Formally, the end of a legislative session, one topped off with the passage of a great victory protecting all New Republic soldiers from the petty reprisal of bitter ex-Imperial bureaucrats… plus their wives and families, of course." Thane winked, ushering her onto the ship. He closed the door behind them. "Less formally, our wedding. There are some people I'm dying for you to meet!"

Ciena gulped. "Do these people know I'll be joining you?"

Thane paused, noticing her concern. "Yeah, I told a bunch of people about my plans to propose to you. Not the senators I talked to about including the provision, of course, but you'll be welcome at the party. Why, do you not feel like celebrating?"

That was a good question. Didn't Ciena want to celebrate? This was everything she'd ever wanted. Far more than she'd ever let herself hope for. However Thane had done it exactly, he'd kept his promise to talk to others on her behalf. He'd saved her from potential decades behind bars. But after years of feeling trapped in a metaphorical cage and a month inside a literal one, it was hard for Ciena to imagine herself ever being free. Free and alive, that is.

Maybe a party was just what she needed, then. It could serve as a physical reminder that yes, this was real. Ciena really was free. She really was married to Thane.

"I'd love to attend with you, Thane. I… I think I'm still a bit shocked, that's all." She sighed, forcing her shoulders to relax. "I've had such an eventful day already."

"Well, just relax back here on the ship. I'll handle all the flying back to Chandrila. We won't get there right away, and if you change your mind along the way, just tell me and we won't go." Thane babbled on as he entered the cockpit. "We'll stop by my place first so I can freshen up as well. If you need anything there, my stuff is your stuff. The party is at Chancellor Mothma's private residence. We'll stay for as long as we like, then head back. Then we can _really_ have fun."

Ciena laughed. She doubted she would feel up for anything but sleep by that point. It wasn't that she didn't want to consummate their marriage, but prison really knew how to zap someone's energy. She was bound to be exhausted by the end of the night.

And… dear stars, Chancellor Mothma? How did Thane even know someone so high up in the bureaucracy? The rebellion, obviously, but that didn't clarify any of the specifics. Ciena would have to ask Thane later.

Ciena took another look at the dress Thane had procured for her. It was a modest black dress, nothing shabby, but most certainly not enough for a high class gathering. Ciena had been better dressed for her graduate's ball on Coruscant all those years ago, and even then she remembered being one of the most underdressed people there. And of course Thane hadn't had time to remember the existence of cosmetics. Ciena would look like a ruffian! She didn't want to meet his rebel friends like this.

No, not rebel. Republic. They were official now. They were the victors. The legitimate government. Ciena couldn't say anything to suggest otherwise, now could she?

Ciena frowned, slipping off her prison clothes in the back of the cargo hold soon after the ship launched into hyperspace. She'd forgotten how nice civilian clothes could feel. Their fabrics could be chosen for comfort, not just cheap mass production.

Thane's breath hitched behind her. She turned around, waiting for him to finish taking her in. "You look beautiful in that."

"You were right that it might not fit exactly." Even the shoes were a size too loose. That'll be fun later.

"It doesn't matter." Thane dismissed the issue. "I know it's not quite wedding attire, but we'll have time to put on a ceremony later."

"Can we have our wedding on Jelucan?"

"Of course! We'll hold the ceremony wherever and however you want it," Thane promised, then frowned. "We may have to wait a bit for Jelucan, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Were you given a chance to contact home while you were in prison?"

"No." Well, technically yes. Ciena had been offered the opportunity to call home once or twice during her stay on Jakku, but she'd been too caught up in her own head to accept. She couldn't face her father now that she'd tried to take the dishonorable way out. No matter how Ciena explained her actions to her father, it wouldn't change the fact that she'd attempted suicide, the coward's way of avoiding their word. Then once the opportunities passed, Ciena would feel guilt that she didn't tell her father she was still alive when, with all the chaos in the galaxy, he must think he was alone in the world. Then she would only feel worse as she spiraled deeper into depression and would snap at Mr. Wright all throughout their meetings until-

"Ciena, you still there?" Thane asked, waving his hand in front of her face. "I know this isn't good news, but the New Republic is working on it. No warlord can hold onto territory forever. For the first time in… wow, forever, we can see real elections happen on Jelucan. Isn't that something?"

"I can hardly believe it." It was the only true thing Ciena could say on the subject. Well, that and: "I hope my father is okay."

"Me too. _Your_ father, I mean." Thane was quick to clarify. "And your mother. If she's still alive, she'll be liberated too. Your whole family, back together again. Bigger than ever before now."

Ciena nodded, smiling for Thane's benefit. "I would like that. I want them to take part in our wedding."

"Then they will. It's as good as done."

Not quite. But Ciena didn't feel like arguing the finer details. She and Thane had argued enough in the past few years. No one wanted to start their marriage with a fight. No one wanted to start their marriage in a prison cell, either.

For a while, she and Thane sat together in silence. Not even touching, just… enjoying each other's company. Because they could do that now. They had time to do that now.

Not all strange feelings were bad ones, as it turned out.

* * *

"Here we are. Chancellor Mon Mothma's place." Thane threw his arms out, letting Ciena take in the giant mansion behind him. She and Thane were some of the last people to arrive at the party, it seemed. "She lived here when she was a senator, but had to abandon it during the rebellion. I hear she was overjoyed when she returned for the first time and found everything in working order."

Ciena could only imagine. It wasn't as fancy as the Emperor's palace had been, but the mansion was still far more extravagant than any structure on Jelucan. The sheer amount of wealth that existed in the galaxy blew her mind every time she encountered it. And even though she'd been able to wash her face and style her hair at Thane's place, Ciena still felt undeserving of entry. Thane standing next to her in an only slightly nicer dress uniform helped, but just a little.

They walked up to the protocol droid taking names at the door. "Please give me your name, sir and madam. I will ensure you are on the guest list."

"Thane Kyrell. This is my wife, a plus one."

"Kyrell… Kyrell… Ah. I have your last name, image, and rank in my databank, but your first name is listed as 'Engine Room Hooch Man'. That is a unique name, sir. You must be so proud of it! Whyever use a nickname?" The droid cocked his head at Thane, who was trying his best not to laugh. "I suppose it doesn't matter. You may enter. You as well, Mrs. Kyrell. Enjoy the party!"

Thane and Ciena slid past the droid into a crowd of New Republic sophisticates. Ciena turned to him once they were a sufficient distance away from the entrance. "'Engine Room Hooch Man'?"

Thane shook his head. "It was a long time ago. I first met Chancellor Mothma while under the influence. I doubt she put that on the guest list herself. It was probably one of her aides. And to think, I told him that story in confidence!" He laughed, prompting Ciena to laugh as well. Inside, she was mortified at the thought of appearing drunk in front of such a high ranking person.

"How did Chancellor Mothma react to seeing you in such a state?"

"She was understanding about it, actually. It was right after the Battle of Hoth." Thane paused, then continued. "I… told her about you, then. If we get a chance to talk to her tonight, which I doubt will happen with all the people here, I'll be sure to introduce you."

Ciena hoped not. "Is Kendy here? I know she offered to testify for me, but I never got a chance to see her while I was," she looked around, checking to see if anyone was listening, "delayed on Jakku."

Thane wrinkled his brow. "I don't think so. She doesn't get involved in politics as much as I do. She should still be on Chandrila, though. We'll visit her another time. In the meantime, let's go find those people I mentioned. You'll like them, Ciena. They're very honorable. But first: refreshments."

She followed Thane to the food tables on the other side of the room. Ciena didn't know what half the food items were, so she let Thane set the pace, taking smaller portions of anything he picked up with one exception: the alcohol. He took a glass of whiskey while she opted for wine. Even at her worst of times, Ciena had never been one for losing her head.

Thane navigated the crowd like an expert. Except for the people he specifically stopped to greet, no one seemed to notice the pair of them existed. Ciena had no idea which people Thane wanted her to meet and which ones to whom he only wished to say hello, so she opted not to speak unless spoken to. Finally, they stopped in front of a fashionable pair of people with starkly different tastes, one man and one woman. "General Rieekan, Countessa. Good to see you again."

"You don't have to call me 'Countessa' anymore, Kyrell," the woman corrected, then broke into a half smile. "Madame President is fine."

Thane gave a full grin back. "Madame President, then."

"Is this the one?" General Rieekan nodded to Ciena, an appraising tone to his voice. Ciena knew before he even glanced at her that his appraisal would find her wanting. She held her head high regardless. "This is the woman you couldn't let slip away?"

"Yessir!" Thane held her hand up in his with pride. "This is Ciena Ree. My oldest friend and newest wife."

"You say that like you've been married before," Madame President noted, amused. "I'm glad you are happy. How are you, Ciena Ree… or do you prefer Captain?"

"Ciena is fine," she demurred. "I'm overwhelmed, of course. I knew Thane had promised he would come back for me, but I hadn't expected him to help me, um, leave Jakku so soon. I had no idea how he planned to do it until it happened."

"I can imagine. His plan certainly wouldn't have worked in the Empire." Rieekan wasn't done assessing her. "Are you relieved the war is over?"

"Most relieved, General sir. I never expected I'd live to see the end of it."

"You very nearly didn't. Crashing a Star Destroyer into the nearest planet just to keep it out of Republic hands? The New Republic would have liked that ship, you know."

Ciena felt her cheeks burn. "It was my last act as an Imperial officer. That time of my life is over now."

"One can certainly hope so."

"General, please." Madame President intervened. "We've met so many regretful Imperials over the past few months. Give some of them the chance to reinvent themselves. This New Republic is a restoration of hope for everyone, not just those who fought for it." She waited for General Rieekan to respond. When he did not, she switched gears. "You must be so excited to finally be married, Ciena. Your circumstances are unusual, but everyone's lives were changed by the war. From the way your husband speaks, the two of you have loved each other for some time."

Ciena nodded, thankful for the change in subject. "We have. The two of us became friends when we were eight. We… we were always close."

"That's right. Ciena was and still is my closest friend, the only woman I have ever truly loved. My life wouldn't be complete without her by my side."

General Rieekan frowned, forcing himself to stay civil regarding his subordinate's performance of emotion. "I remember when Kyrell thought you'd died in the Battle of Endor. He mourned you for a year, meditating and tying fabric around his arm. It was a… unique display of grief."

"You followed the valley traditions? For me?" Ciena looked to Thane with wide eyes. "But you… you didn't grow up in the valley."

"It's what you would have done for me. I'm sure of it." Thane held her hand up to his chest. "And I am valley kindred now. I haven't recognized my family as such for years. I am a part of your house now. Your traditions are my traditions. I respect what you respect."

"Jelucani traditions, you mean?" Madame President asked, to which Thane nodded.

Ciena was moved. This time, she's the one who moved to embrace Thane. For a split second, she was able to forget about everyone else in the room.

So maybe Thane didn't share her same sense of honor yet. Maybe there was still a bit of his heritage in him when he made backroom political deals or omitted important facts. But Thane didn't _want_ to be that person. He wanted to adopt the ways of the valley kindred with her. Perhaps she would not become Ciena Kyrell, but he Thane Ree.

"Well, I see the paperwork has already been sent in. This is a done deal for you, legally speaking. I hope you have a long, peaceful marriage, young pilot. You should apply for extended shore leave, enjoy it a little," General Rieekan suggested. "Come, Madame President, I think those… um, senators are still waiting to hear from us."

"Oh, yes." Madame President followed the general's lead, leaving the two newlyweds alone. The corner they disappeared to was suspiciously devoid of senators.

Not that Thane noticed. Or cared. "I think I'll take General Rieekan's suggestion. How does two more extra weeks on Chandrila sound? That brings my shore leave total to four weeks. Is my place comfy enough for the two of us?"

"It's fine. I would love for you to stay with me awhile before you fly out again. I don't… aside from Kendy, I don't think I know anyone else on this planet."

"Well, that's another thing this party's for. Make some friends. Who knows, someone here might even have a job you can do… if you're ready to start work again, that is. There's no rush if you aren't. We can live on my salary for some ti… and there's no reason we have to discuss all this now. Let's just enjoy the night." Thane's mouth kept pace with his thoughts, wandering all about before settling on nothing.

"Who else do you want me to meet?"

Thane introduced her to loads of people after that. A young junior aide to Chancellor Mothma, the one who'd changed Thane's name on the guestlist and paled at the mention of Ciena, two more of Thane's squad members, who measured their words around her, a few New Republic Senators, who didn't recognize her name and neither Thane nor Ciena felt the need to clarify matters for, and an old scholarly woman, one here in official capacity to take "historical documentation" of the event. The New Republic was obsessed with writing the official history of the war now that it was over, it seemed. The last woman was the kindest to Ciena out of everyone.

As she and Thane made their way around the party, Ciena began to hear her name in places she'd never spoken it. First out of General Rieekan and Madame President's corner, then from the aide to his friends, and then out of the mouths of people Thane never spoke to that whole night. She caught only a small portion of what these elites said about her, but none of it was good. The list included such phrases as: "Imp loyalist", "conniving whore", "scheming cheat", and, of course, "filthy war criminal". If Thane noticed the chatter, he didn't comment on it.

Ciena wilted under the glares she received. No matter where she looked, they loomed everywhere. She tried to focus on Thane, hold onto his side and enjoy his affections, but that only made the whispers worse. Ciena found herself reaching for wine again and again, forcing herself to stop when she noticed she'd grabbed a fourth glass.

No. This was not the proper way to handle the matter. Getting drunk solved nothing.

So Ciena put the glass back on the tray, every drop still inside. These people were right to question her honor. She could not deny their words held a kernel of truth in them. She had not schemed or seduced in order to escape her cell, but how would they know that? Anything she or Thane claimed to the contrary would not be heard by their ears. Politicians heard what they wanted to hear, what they thought they could use in speeches later. And this room was full of politicians that only pretended to be different from the ones once in the Empire. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

"I want to go back," she announced to Thane.

"Aw, already? It's not that late. Come on, Ciena, you've barely had anything except wine." Thane's words slurred a bit.

"I'm exhausted. I want to go back to our lodging. Didn't you say I could decide when we leave?"

"Did I? I guess I kinda did. Okay, if you're tired." Thane tossed an arm over her shoulder and steered her towards the exit. "Whatever you say, Ciena. Wait." He stopped in the middle of the room. "Lemme say some goodbyes real quick."

Thane was not quick. He took almost a half hour to say his farewells to everyone he found deserving. Ciena offered polite goodbyes herself, but she was mostly ignored.

By the time they got back to Thane's speeder, he was hardly in any condition to drive. Ciena would have offered to take over, but she wasn't much better herself. She'd consumed less alcohol, yes, but she was also far lighter than Thane. And Ciena was in the minority in that she'd never found the symptoms of drunkenness pleasant. So she sat in anxious silence as Thane drove them back to where he lived. Where they lived, now.

"I think that went pretty well," Thane commented as he stumbled through the door. "Sorry we didn't get a chance to speak to Chancellor Mothma. I don't think I even saw her. Did you?"

Ciena shook her head. "Those people at the party. I heard them gossiping about me all night."

"...No. It's not like that. A couple people were surprised at you, yeah. Maybe some of them didn't agree with you being there, but that's jus… just because they don't know you. If they knew what a great person you were, they wouldn't have a single bad thing to say 'bout you. That… that's why I wanted them to meet you, Ciena. So they'd all finally… believe me." And with that, he drifted off, falling asleep uniform and all across the bed. So much for consummation. Not that Ciena was feeling it either.

She took Kendy's dress off, found one of Thane's undershirts she could use as a nightgown, and prepared herself for bed. All throughout the night, Thane's words stayed with her.

Was the New Republic's rejection of her really just temporary? Or should Ciena have known better than to think leaving her cell was the same as leaving her Imperial service behind?

* * *

**A/N's:** **I know it's been over three months, but a fic I started around the same time as this one got a far bigger reader reaction (especially on AO3), motivating me to keep updating it until finally, _Master of the House_ was a 50K Thraro Meet the Parents/Murder Mystery fic. When I finished it last week, I decided this is one of the fics I wanted to circle back to and update before writing any more Thrawn-related stories.**

**So in this chapter we see a few drawbacks to Thane's genius plan of freeing Ciena via marriage. I would say this story is a happy ending fic only until reality ensues. Our _Lost Stars_ protags still love each other, obviously, but not all the obstacles keeping them apart collapsed with the Empire. There's still some conflict to be had in this sequel. I can't say much else without spoilers, but know that my prediction of ten chapters for this fic is a pretty well educated guess.**

**Thank you to everyone who waited patiently for this update and for the support I've received recently. I appreciate all of you. Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

(My) Love Shall Set You Free

Chapter Three

Next morning was a fresh breed of hell. Thane's hangover was relatively mild, but Ciena hadn't considered the effects of drinking on an already damaged liver and spent her morning in severe abdominal pain. She could barely sit up, let alone leave the bed.

Thane walked back into the bedroom with two cups in hand: caf for himself and water for Ciena. Ciena sipped cautiously. She wasn't nauseous, nor did she wish to become that way. "So your, um, liver. You said it's a leftover injury from Endor?"

Ciena nodded. "I was in awful shape after that battle. I didn't return to active duty until shortly before Jakku. My liver was damaged the worst. The Empire used bacta to grow me a new one, but it's not a perfect cure." She shook her head. "I should have known better. Last night… that was stupid of me."

"Don't blame yourself. You had an eventful day. You didn't know how alcohol would affect you." Thane leaned over her, careful not to spill caf on the sheets. He kissed her cheek. "We can take today easy. I need to fill out some datawork to extend my shore leave, but most of that can be done from home. How about we stay in for now?"

"I'd like that." She took another drink of water. "Yesterday wasn't your first day of shore leave, was it? You were here talking to politicians before that."

"Yeah. I was keeping a distant eye on things before I heard about the original immunity bill. When I got the news about it, I saw an opportunity to keep my promise to you and took shore leave so I could come to Chandrila. I suggested a few other ideas before settling on that 'wives and families' clause, but none of them caught any senators' attention. The idea wasn't even mine, I just suggested revisions that fit my agenda to anyone who would listen. Senate matters were moving fast -the fastest a Senate is ever likely to move, apparently- so the whole process took six days on my end. Yesterday was day seven."

Ciena listened to his story with half an ear. She was focused on quelling her stomach cramps. "So... if your extension gets approved, you'll be with me for, um-"

"Three weeks." Thane squeezed her hand, the one that wasn't holding water. "Think of it like our honeymoon, at least in part. It's also your chance to figure out what you want to do with life. You're a free woman, Ciena."

That's true. What did Ciena want to do with her life? All her childhood, she'd dreamt of being a pilot for the Empire. She'd achieved that dream years ago, only to watch helplessly as it morphed into a nightmare. "Do you think I still have a chance as a pilot?"

Thane pursed his lips. "Hm… depends on what kind of pilot you're thinking of. Chancellor Mothma is working on a gradual demilitarization of the armed forces via the Senate, so you aren't likely to be newly hired as a military one. No one is. Given the number of Rebel vets set to be ending their service soon, not to mention all the Imperial deserters, you would have to compete with them for any civilian work. But you're a hell of a pilot, so I bet you could pull it off. You could even be a racer pilot if you wanted to!" Thane nudged her side, a good natured grin on his face. He pulled back when she winced.

"Mm." Ciena drank through stiff lips. "I don't know if I'd want to be a racer. It seems too… public." She'd had enough trouble with those people at the party whispering her name. How would Ciena feel if the whole galaxy were talking about her? Not good, that was for sure.

At the same time, what other kind of pilot job would give her the same adrenaline rush? She wasn't about to join any pirate gangs or crime syndicates, and commercial and cargo pilots let safety dictate their flights more than anything else. The monotony was enough to kill anyone's joy for flight, or so she heard. "Maybe I don't need to be a pilot again. Not right away, at least."

"You don't have to decide today, I'm just saying you should think about it. And if there's anything I can do to help you, tell me and it's done."

"I understand. Thank you, Thane." She tilted her head up to kiss him on the chin. "You're a good husband already."

"I'm doing my best." Thane smiled, eyes clouding over with memories. "I… don't really know what it means to be a good husband, but I will try. I love you and I want to do what I can to help you. I want to take care of you when you need me and nurture any kids we have with everything I got."

"And you will, Thane. I believe in you." He didn't have to tell Ciena what he was thinking about. She already knew. "There is… one other thing I need from you."

"What is it?"

"Do you have any other clothes I can wear?"

Thane noticed what Ciena had on for the first time. Sometime during the night, he'd stripped down to his undershirt and boxers as well, so their pajamas were identical. He glanced to where she'd laid Kendy's dress aside and laughed. "Not with me, but I have an idea of where we can get some. You still want to see Kendy, right?" Ciena nodded. "Well, what if I asked her to come over and bring a few things? You can return her clothes after we've had time to shop for you. I'll finish my datawork, run it over for approval, and then call her. How about that?"

Ciena paused. She was about to ask if she could call Kendy herself, but she didn't know what she wanted to say yet. Thane's plan gave her time to consider her options. "I'd like that."

"Great. Can I get you any food while you lay here? No rush if breakfast would hurt you, but I do have some snacks in the apartment if that's something you'd like."

"I don't think I can eat right now."

"Do you need pain medication? Bacta?"

"I just need time. Why don't you get started on your shore leave extension?" Ciena shooed him away.

Thane took her cup of water when he noticed it was empty. "I'll do that, then. Love you."

"Love you too." Ciena shifted out of her upright position, cringing as she did so. "Let me know when you leave, okay?"

"Sure thing."

Kendy Idele… Ciena hadn't seen her old roommate in years. Kendy had offered to come visit her on Jakku once, but Ciena had been too embarrassed to respond. By the time she worked up the courage to accept the visit, Kendy had left the planet on another mission. Mr. Wright claimed she'd also offered to serve as a character witness in Ciena's trial, but Ciena hadn't been interested in anything other than a guilty plea. Put those two facts together, and Kendy must assume Ciena never wanted to see her again. Despite that, she'd still lent her clothes to Thane in the hopes Ciena could be free. She was a better friend than Ciena deserved, and instead of doing anything to honor Kendy, Ciena was asking her for more handouts. Selfish, really.

Ciena tucked her legs in over her stomach. Her arms latched over her knees, binding her in a fetal position. The last time she felt this weak, Ciena had been in an Imperial medical facility. Disconnected from her sister Wynnet for the first time ever. Had Wynnet still been with her, Ciena would have asked her to look through her eyes when Thane proposed. Look through her eyes when she stepped out of her desert prison. Look through her eyes as she trod up that glitzy Chandrila mansion last night and into a room of people who hated her guts.

As another wave of pain washed over her, Ciena found herself hating her guts as well. The feeling was mutual, it seemed.

She blinked back tears. No more alcohol ever again. That was an order.

Ciena didn't know how long she laid in that position, but she may have dozed off because the next time she opened her eyes, Thane was dressed and shaking her shoulder. She blinked a few times before focusing on the blue in his eyes, which were filled to the brim with concern. "I'm about to leave. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"Can you get me more water? Pain pills, too?" Ciena unclasped her hands, lowering her legs once again. Now she laid on her side. "I'll wait for the pills to kick in before I get a shower."

Thane hesitated, then nodded. "I'll get you what you need. Be careful moving around. I promise I won't be gone long."

Ciena nodded. She thanked Thane when he returned with her requests in hand. She popped the two pills in her mouth without complaint, then washed them down with several gulps of water. Thane kissed her as she set the cup aside, and Ciena reciprocated. Ciena figured she could get used to this… minus the pain, of course.

"Bye, Ciena."

"Goodbye, Thane. See you in a little while."

Ciena distantly heard the door close. She waited a few minutes to see if she felt a difference, then forced herself to stand regardless. Ciena had hated her every minute in recovery post-Endor. The less she had to remind herself of that time, the better. She'd healed. She could take care of herself now. Alcohol consumption was not necessary to lead a fulfilling life. Her parents had only ever consumed it at social events after all, though their reasons had been financial in nature.

The pain stayed harsh, but was no longer debilitating. Ciena could get through her morning routine so long as she went slow. Navigating the shower proved not to be a problem. Once that finished, she noticed Thane had been kind enough to leave out a spare toothbrush for her.

Once her time in the bathroom ended, Ciena inspected Thane's apartment in earnest. It had four rooms: a bedroom, a bathroom, a living space, and a kitchen area. All the furniture had likely come with purchase, seeing as the pieces had that bland, mass-produced appearance of hotel rooms. Other than Thane's scent on the bed and his clothes in the closet, nothing in the apartment reminded Ciena of him.

How long did Thane intend to stay here? Ciena assumed they would remain in this apartment for the extent of his shore leave, but what about after that? Would Ciena live alone in the New Republic capital? Perhaps it depended on her job. If she secured a job on, say, Bespin, she would start her life over on that planet. Thane traveled most the year regardless, so he probably wouldn't mind. Still, Ciena ought to ask him first.

She wished she could find some pants. Thane's undershirt fell to Ciena's midthigh, but she still felt exposed every time she sat down. Ciena didn't want to reunite with Kendy like this. Never mind that they'd seen each other in less. Ciena was about to put on the shoes she'd worn last night when she remembered Kendy's dislike of covering her feet. Growing up on the tropical planet Iloh, Kendy had loved to wander about barefoot. Given the heat of such environments, she hadn't worn much clothing either. Strange how that memory made Ciena feel better.

Ciena wandered back into the kitchen area. She'd kicked her caf habit long ago, but the dried biscuits looked tempting. They were plain enough that eating them shouldn't be too rough on her stomach. The pain had receded enough that Ciena had actually started to feel hungry. She washed down a packet of them with the remains of her water, careful not to eat too quickly.

After that, she waited on the couch in the living room, thinking about what she would say to Kendy. Ciena thought she had a plan when the door opened. Seeing Kendy walk in with Thane then and there threw her off from the start.

Ciena took to her feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness that accompanied the act. "Kendy. You came."

Kendy blinked, dropping her pile of clothes on the couch arm. She threw her arms around Ciena's waist, oblivious to Thane's warning she be careful. Any pain Kendy's squeezing caused was overcome by the sheer relief Ciena felt at seeing her friend again. "Ciena. I'm glad you're alive. I didn't know if I would be, but… seeing you, I know I am. Thane is right. You deserve to be free."

Ciena returned the embrace. "I'm glad you're alive too. My only wish in those last days of war were that you, Thane, and my parents would live to see the end." She pulled back, tears collecting in her eyes, one part pain and three parts relief. "I wanted to see you on Jakku, I did."

"It's okay. I know it was soon after you were caught that I-"

"No Kendy, wait. I was ashamed of myself, not of you. By the time I had enough courage to ask for you, you were gone. I appreciate you offering to testify in my trial. I appreciate you lending me your clothes. I appreciate you still being a friend to me, even after all this time. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"Don't think about that right now, Ciena. Worry about yourself for once." Kendy brushed a hand through Ciena's hair, letting its curls wrap around her fingers. "You've… looked better."

She sniffed. "I've looked worse, too."

"I'll give you two a minute." Thane walked over to the kitchen area to grab a pack of muffins.

Kendy kept her eyes on Ciena. "Prison didn't do this to you, did it? I thought the New Republic was treating people better than this."

Ciena shook her head. "I looked this way before Jakku as well. This is how I've been since the Battle of Endor. Back then, I did what I could to rescue some other TIE pilots from the explosion and injured myself. Badly."

Kendy snorted. "You are the Ciena I remember, then. Thane believed in you all along, but I wasn't always as sure."

"And yet you still agreed to help me."

"Mostly because I wanted to see you in person again. I wanted to know what had become of you." Kendy admitted, still fixated on Ciena's frailty. "Now I know."

The two let silence linger. Kendy, at least, looked marvelous. She was every bit the way Ciena remembered, all the way down to her sandals. After a minute, Ciena remembered the questions she wanted to ask Kendy. "How have you been?"

"Good. Busy, but good. I took two weeks of shore leave to celebrate the New Republic's progress. The first legislative session of the Senate ended yesterday, as you know. We've also had a lot of luck dethroning warlords, even on planets once considered safe to the Empire. Thane and a few of our mutual friends suggested we celebrate our victories in the galaxy's new capital. How was my dress last night, by the way?"

"I liked it. It was… my taste." Ciena refused to bring up how underdressed she had been for the event. Had it not been for Kendy's help, she would have remained in prison attire.

Kendy smiled in a way that didn't reach her eyes. "I thought it would be. Here, I brought you a few other things. I went shopping a few days ago with some people, and it turns out not everything I bought is in my size. Instead of returning it, I thought maybe you could try the clothes on. You look to be a… well, a few sizes smaller than me, so maybe they'll fit you better."

Ciena flipped through the pile Kendy had dropped. All of it was fancier than anything Ciena had owned in her life. And Kendy was just donating to her like it was nothing? How could Ciena accept this? What other option did she have?

"Gonna give me a fashion show?" Thane teased, returning from the kitchen. "My extension is approved, by the way. I was congratulated on my wedding and told to enjoy everything Hanna City has to offer."

"We can do that tomorrow." Ciena smiled at the thought. She and Thane would have tomorrow together, wouldn't they? "I'll put one of these outfits on. Give me a minute, Kendy."

"Ciena, it's fine. I recommend… this one." Kendy pulled a flowing yellow dress out from the bottom of the stack. "Yellow will look great with your skin."

Ciena took the dress, blushing. "Thank you."

She turned to change, but not fast enough to miss the sharp look Kendy gave Thane. Kendy started lecturing him the second Ciena closed the bedroom door.

"You have no business dragging her all over the city after what you did last night."

"What do you mean? Why shouldn't Ciena enjoy Hanna City?"

"Thane! You took a recently released Imperial war prisoner to an elite New Republic celebration in Chancellor Mothma's personal residence, then told everyone there exactly who she was. How can you be surprised word of it reached the media?"

The media? As in, the holonews media? Ciena felt her stomach drop. She lifted Thane's undershirt up over her head, hesitant to leave her spot by the door.

"I'm not surprised. I just don't think it matters if a gossip column or two chose to mention us. There's so much happening in the galaxy right now that people are bound to forget all about it."

"They included your pictures, Thane! They didn't get any from the party, so guess what picture they used of Ciena? Her mugshot from where she's dressed in an Imperial uniform with cuffed hands. She looks like a war criminal. People are mad she's free, and they're even angrier at how she got to be that way. I… won't repeat the comments, but they are harsh. You're getting less heat than she is, but that doesn't make you exempt."

"I knew not everyone would understand what I did, but I couldn't let that stop me from doing it. You agree with me, Kendy. You just said Ciena deserves to be free."

Ciena hated listening to this. She knew how rude it was to eavesdrop. Still, the apartment walls were thin. Even when she moved to grab her (still prison-issued) bra from where she left it, Ciena could hear Thane and Kendy perfectly well.

"I agree, Thane, but that's because I knew Ciena. The majority of the planet doesn't."

"Wait. This was a planet-wide story? I didn't even think we were worth local news!"

"The Chandrila Daily Digest disagrees. So far, I don't think the story has caught system wide attention. You better hope it doesn't."

"So what are you saying? What do you suggest we do?"

"...Lay low for a while, okay? Don't give the press anything else to report on. Let them get distracted by the next big scoop before going out as a couple. When you do, you don't have to sneak around, but you shouldn't call extra attention to yourselves either. I hope the Digest lets this go like you think they will. For your sake and Ciena's."

Thane sighed. "So do I. This is ridiculous! There are millions of ex-Imperials all over the galaxy. Plenty of them are doing a lot worse than getting married. Why would the media devote airtime to a personal story that hurts no one?"

"Because you made yourselves the talk of the new elite. What did you think would happen, Thane?"

"Nothing! I was invited to that party by one of the chancellor's aides. He pulled strings to get me and some of our squad on the guest list. You could have come too had you accepted his offer. I told him I was getting married soon and wanted to bring my wife. He said it wouldn't be a problem. We didn't interact with the elite at all. I just wanted Ciena to meet my friends. The fanciest people we talked to were General Rieekan and the Countessa."

"Really?"

"Okay, there were a couple Senators. But they didn't recognize Ciena by name. I didn't clarify for them. I…" Thane faltered. "I was so focused on the marriage proposal. The party was supposed to be fun."

Ciena snapped herself away, forcing herself to pull the dress over her head. Pain stabbed her insides as she twisted about in it. She scooped up Kendy's black dress, then stepped outside.

The conversation stopped when she arrived. Thane was the first to react. "That is beautiful. Kendy was right about the color."

Ciena knew she had to come clean about what she heard. It was the right thing to do. "So people all over the planet are talking about me? What did you hear, Kendy?" She held out the black dress for Kendy to take back.

Kendy waved it away. "Keep it. The piece was light on facts. All it had that wasn't opinion was that a Republic pilot of good repute had recently married an ex-Imperial captain from her prison cell and that freed her. Last night, anonymous sources saw you two at the chancellor's celebration. Nothing about the case against you, the contact of your service record, or you and Thane's past together. Plenty of speculation, though."

Ciena stumbled back, hand creeping over her stomach. Thane tried to reassure her, but Ciena's mind had already launched into the worst case scenario. "Someone at the party talked to a reporter about me. They wanted this story in the press. And now the planet hates me. I wish we never went to that party."

"Ciena, I'm sorry. I have no idea why anyone would want to do this to you. We were together at the celebration all night. If I knew who was behind this, I would… I would-"

"Thane, don't. Please don't. You've done enough for me already. I don't want revenge. I don't want to be known as vindictive, or angry, or…" the word caught on her lips, "Imperial. I just want to live in peace. With you and, when possible, my parents as well."

She reached for his hand. He took it, placing the other on her shoulder. Thane shifted so Ciena could feel his warmth over her entire back side. Leaning back into him relaxed her somewhat.

Kendy watched them together, a tiny grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "Well, the article had no information on where you two live. You can enjoy your time here until this blows over. Focus on getting your strength back, Ciena. The planet can wait. And I have ten days left on my shore leave. I don't mind coming over more often."

Ciena smiled sadly. "Thanks Kendy. It's nice to know Thane and I have a friend on Chandrila."

"Not just her. You met a whole bunch of my friends last night, remember? I've known some of them for years now. They wouldn't do this to us."

Ciena blinked. "I see. Well, it's nice to know _I_ have a friend on Chandrila."

Thane sputtered as she pulled away. He looked like he wanted to engage further with the subject, but Ciena had no interest. She dove back into her conversation with Kendy, and after a minute, Thane stopped trying to bring the matter back up. Ciena silently resolved to circle back to it this evening and did her best to communicate that intention.

For now, Ciena just wanted to enjoy her time with Kendy. She was in enough pain already. Surely there was room for happiness in her life now that the war was over.

If not, then why was she still here?

* * *

**A/N's: This chapter did not originally exist in my outline, but its events are important enough to future parts of the story that I decided to let it stand on its own as one. Also, the quarantine vibe is strong right now. I don't care if my state is opening up, coronavirus cases are increasing again and I live with people at risk.**

**Poor Ciena. She's battered physically and mentally, and now she has to deal with the threat of harassment as well. It's a lot. But I am happy to include Kendy in this fic, as she's another Lost Stars character I looked forward to writing.**

**Hope you all enjoyed! I'll update when I get to it. Until then, don't be shy to leave a review below.**


	4. Chapter 4

(My) Love Shall Set You Free

Chapter Four

Compared to its first day, the rest of Thane and Ciena's honeymoon passed with little fanfare. Getting a government approved ID had resulted in a minor incident in which Thane argued with bureaucrats for hours on Ciena's behalf. It was the one time Ciena was recognized by strangers in public, and even that was only because Thane had been shouting her name in a crowded office. Obviously she didn't look that conspicuous without her uniform and binders on. Which is good because the glares Ciena received made her very grateful the licensing office had abundant surveillance and security on hand.

Despite the obstacles, she'd walked out of the licensing office with a valid civilian identification card in hand. Now that Ciena had non-Imperial datawork backing up her existence, she was able to apply for jobs. A mixed blessing, as it turned out.

Applying for work required Ciena to confess her past to any and all potential bosses. Some companies had the foresight to research her name before making in-person contact with her. Those places never responded to her communications. The companies that didn't do their research discovered Ciena's past during the interview itself. Their reactions ranged from immediate termination of the interview to persevering until Ciena walked out the door, at which point they vowed never to contact her again. It wasn't until her third interview that Ciena realized what the problem was.

Yes, she was job hunting in the New Republic, but that wasn't enough to ensure all her potential employers were strongly anti-Empire. Rather, the issue was how Ciena became aware of the job opportunity in the first place. Every time, it was an opening either Thane or Kendy had heard about via one of their various contacts. Now, what kind of people were two New Republic soldiers most likely to be friends with?

Ciena didn't blame the two for trying to help her. It wasn't their fault things weren't going well. Ciena could only blame herself for her troubles. No matter how difficult it made her life, Ciena refused to lie about her previous work experience. She could dress it up however she wanted, but nothing she said about her individual service record changed the fact that she'd henched for the galaxy's vanquished oppressors as long as she did.

Perhaps she should look for organizations openly willing to hire ex-Imperials. Unfortunately, the only ones Ciena found operated out of a nostalgia for the Empire more than a desire to give people second chances. After working in an environment that praised the Empire for all her adult life, Ciena wasn't inclined to go back to one if she could avoid it. That "if" loomed larger and larger with each passing day.

Thane, for his part, remained staunchly against her having a pro-Imperial boss. "I can't believe people like that even exist on Chandrila! How can anyone look at the New Republic's accomplishments and say, with a straight face, that they prefer the way things were? I had my doubts at first, sure, but at virtually every turn, the New Republic has proven themselves to be a better government for the galaxy than the Empire ever was. Slavery is on the decline, military occupation of entire systems is set to end soon, people vote for their leaders again, entire planets aren't being stripped to build war machines… honestly. What is there not to like?"

"I understand your point, Thane, but I'm not sure I have the right to be picky here. Chandrila is so much more expensive to live on than Jelucan, I can't expect you and Kendy to provide everything for me, and I need something to do when you're away. Your shore leave won't last forever, and I don't expect you to change careers for my sake." Ciena sighed. What she was about to say had been stewing in her mind for days. "If Imperial nostalgics are the only people who will hire me, I may just have to take what I can get."

Thane frowned. "I know I said I like Chandrila, but we don't have to live here. I wish we could make Jelucan our home again too, but it just isn't a good idea right now. The war isn't over on Jelucan. I have concerns about wandering too close to the edge of Republic territory, just because things are so unsettled, but if you want to move planets, we can. You'd be the one spending all your time on it."

"...What if it doesn't help? What if every planet is like this?"

Thane weighed his words before speaking them. "I mean… they are to an extent. The galactic economy has to shift to a post-war way of things. That will take a while, and jobs might be scarce in the meantime. So really, it's not a personal failure if you don't find a job right away. You can use my salary to pay for things while you're still looking."

Ciena buried her face in her hands. "I don't want to. I'm tired of being a burden on you."

"Ciena, you aren't a burden. You're my wife. My stuff is your stuff, your family is my family. We are family. I chose to marry you. I would have chosen that regardless of whether or not it got you out of prison." He pulled one of her hands away so she could look him in the eye. "You know that, right?"

Ciena nodded, laying both hands at her sides. "I'd hoped."

"Well, now you know. Please hold off on selling your labor to some backward facing loon. I have one more idea for where you can get a job."

"Where?"

"Do you remember the party at Chancellor Mothma's place? While we were there, we talked to that old historian lady who was there to document the event. I did some research on her afterwards. Her name is Dr. Cricklin. She has a Senate grant to put together an official history of the rebellion and needs all sorts of assistants. It wouldn't pay much, and all your coworkers would be history buffs from nearby universities, but all in all, it doesn't sound like it would be much different from what you did after Endor. You know, when you were still recovering? You could be good for it." Thane paused, thinking of other ways to sell his pitch. "I remember you talking to Dr. Cricklin at the party. I think she liked you."

"You think so?" It definitely wasn't Ciena's first choice for a job. Not that her first choice was in any way an option at this point. "Would she hire me?"

"It's worth a try. I haven't spoken to her directly since the party, but I think she's still looking for people. You should give her a call."

Ciena considered the possibility. It did sound better than what she'd had in mind earlier. "I think I will. Do you know how I can contact her?"

"No, but the Holonet does." Thane sat up from the couch. There were no Holonet-accessible devices in the apartment itself, but the main lobby had computers and a holocomm that were open to all tenants during certain hours of the day. It was too late for Ciena to use them right now, though.

"I'll look into it tomorrow, then." Ciena sighed. "I just… forgot what it felt like to have nothing for a while. Even when I was a child, we still had our neighbors. We had a house and a muunyak. It wasn't nothing."

"It's not nothing here, either. And what happened to the money you made as an Imperial? The New Republic didn't seize it. If they froze your accounts while you detained, you should be able to access them again."

"I sent it all home. Every last credit went to my parents on Jelucan. My father must have it somewhere." Just mentioning her father stabbed Ciena in the heart. Last week, Ciena had finally worked up the courage to call her father. Thane by her side, she'd tried to reach him twice. Both times, no one answered.

Had he already heard about what she'd done on Jakku? Did he think she was dead? Was he dead himself? Ciena had no idea what the conflict on Jelucan looked like. Civilian casualties could range from extensive to nonexistent for all she knew.

Thane noticed her spiraling. He reached forward and grabbed Ciena's hand, holding it tightly in his. "I'm sorry we weren't able to reach your father. I'm sure he's fine. It's probably just a communications jam over the planet. You can try again soon. He'll be thrilled to hear from you."

"I wanted you to be there when I called him," Ciena confessed, pinpricks of tears in her eyes. "I want to tell him about our marriage so he can welcome you as a part of the family. When will we get another chance to talk to him together? You leave in two days, Thane."

Thane kissed her hand. His lips were gentle and firm, just like his voice. "When Jelucan is liberated, we'll travel there together. Your parents will both be alive. They'll be overjoyed to see you again. We'll have every wedding ceremony the valley requires of us and live together as part of your household. That way when I'm off on duty, you'll have your parents and your kindred to keep you company."

Unlike here, where Ciena was fixing to live alone soon. She tightened her grip on Thane, as if that would do anything to keep him near her. "I haven't heard anything about Jelucan since we've been here. Do you know something I don't, Thane?"

Thane shook his head. "If I hear anything that isn't classified while I'm on duty, I will send it back to you. The New Republic might not say much about Jelucan, but they won't abandon it to Outer Rim warlords. That's not what they believe in."

"There are tons of mountains and valleys and caves on Jelucan. That sort of terrain is an occupation's nightmare. Even if the New Republic takes the cities, the valley kindred won't break their vow to the Empire so easily. War on that planet could take years, even decades. What happens when the costs of fighting mount and the New Republic still wants to shrink their military? When they can't keep both promises at once, which one do you think they'll choose?"

"It doesn't matter what the valley kindred promised to the Empire. According to the Galactic Concordance, the Empire doesn't exist in that sector of space anymore anyway. Any warlords who claim otherwise are pretenders. Promises don't apply to pretenders. No first-waver has any honor bound duty to aid them whatsoever."

By now, this was a familiar conversation. Ciena had to be careful to make sure the fate of their homeworld didn't turn into a fight. She took the easy way out of the debate. "Many valleys on Jelucan are still remote. There's no guarantee the people there have heard of the concordance at all. All they may have is the warlord's word that the Empire still reigns on Jelucan."

"Then the New Republic will march into those valleys and tell them the truth. We'll bring holos from the treaty signing and everything. The New Republic will bring freedom to Jelucan, I promise. I'll join the charge myself, if I can."

Ciena declined to mention that such valleys were also deeply suspicious of foreigners. Her mother had cousins in one of the more remote valleys, and folk there had been wary of her the one time they visited. They hadn't liked the fact that she and Ciena owned anything bought off the second-wavers and leered at the way their family practiced tradition. The only way groups like that would not stay loyal to the Empire is if they had never sworn loyalty at all.

Ciena didn't know how the fight for Jelucan was going to end. She was tired of letting it consume her thoughts in every silent moment. Maybe once she had a job to fill her time, she could focus on other things. "It seems odd that people already want to document the history of the war when it isn't even over yet."

Thane smiled. "For some people, the war is over simply because they want it to be over. There are those who believe the war ended with Endor. Others, the Concordance. Still others, Jakku. These three groups together make a majority in the Senate. For political reasons, any leftover fighting from the rebellion has been given a different name." He paused. His grin widened. "Maybe that's something you'll do if you work for Dr. Cricklin. You could help her decide when the war officially began and ended."

"Maybe." Ciena yawned. She glanced to her right through the window, noticing the summer sun had finally set. She stood up beside Thane. "I'm going to bed now. I'll call Dr. Cricklin after breakfast tomorrow if she's still hiring."

"Good plan. Oh, I was also thinking we can do something nice tomorrow. One more thing we can enjoy before I return to duty."

"What is it?"

"Did you know there are state of the art flight simulators on Hanna City that you can rent by the hour? They aren't cheap, but I feel bad you haven't gotten to fly anything in so long since my plan to loan you my X-wing for a day didn't exactly work out. I'm still getting used to this 'New Republic military has stricter rules' thing. After you talk to Dr. Cricklin, let's see if we can fly together one last time."

Ciena wished she was more excited by the prospect. Sure, it wasn't real flying, but Thane's proposal took her back to their childhood. She recalled the hours they spent flying together on Jelucan, each pushing the other to be the best that they could be. All so that they could attend an Imperial academy together.

She smiled at the memories, if not the idea itself. "I'd like that. It would be like old times."

"Exactly!" Thane beamed, then turned to take the bathroom before Ciena could get there herself.

Ciena walked over to the bedroom and pulled a set of nightclothes out from the dresser. Kendy had been thoughtful enough to shop with Ciena for underclothes and pajamas before running out of shore leave herself. That way, Ciena had been able to choose garments that fit. Along the way, the two had joked about shore leave being new again for Kendy. During the days of the Rebel Alliance, soldiers could leave whenever they felt like it with no consequences. In a way, the New Republic felt like a mix of the rebellion and the Empire more than a pure evolution of the former. Ciena hadn't found the assessment as amusing as Kendy did.

Even once she and Thane were in bed together, sleep stayed long in coming. Ciena was too worried about the future of her homeworld, much less herself. She knew Thane was concerned too, and his touch did help steady her, but she sensed it was different for him. He was relieved to live far away from his family. It was a weight off his shoulders when his parents and brother believed him to be dead. That simply wasn't the case for Ciena.

Her body was tired, but her mind wouldn't rest. When Ciena did drift into sleep, it wasn't the peaceful kind. Her spiral of thoughts didn't stop. It just morphed into various dreams.

* * *

The next morning, Ciena's Holonet search confirmed that Dr. Sara Cricklin was still interviewing assistants for her massive documentation project. She had people running conflict records and following Senate proceedings on Hanna City plus interviewers and photographers scattered all over the galaxy. Hours were long and pay was modest, but Ciena didn't mind either of those things.

Ciena checked her reflection to make sure she appeared presentable, all the while thinking through the best way to describe her Imperial experiences. She hadn't had much of a plan the first time it came up in an interview, but she felt like she could carry herself now. Thane wished her luck, then stepped outside the room to offer Ciena more privacy.

She was as ready as she would ever be. Ciena took a deep breath in, then entered Dr. Cricklin's contact information into the holocomm. While the call was waiting, Ciena took the time to adjust her clothes and brush stray curls out of her face.

Less than a minute later, a familiar looking old woman appeared on the holocomm's projector. "This is Dr. Sara Cricklin of Chandrila University at Hanna City. Who is calling?"

Ciena cleared her throat. "Good morning, Dr. Cricklin. My name is Ciena Ree. I'm not certain if you remember, but we met at Chancellor Mothma's residence a few weeks ago. I would like to ask you about-"

"One moment, please." Dr. Cricklin searched wildly for her glasses. When she found them and put them on, she gasped at Ciena's appearance. "Oh, I do remember you! Ciena Ree, the Imperial captain who married a New Republic pilot. You caused quite a stir when you showed up unannounced to the chancellor's private party. What may I help you with, Mrs. Ree?"

Ciena hadn't been prepared to be addressed as 'Mrs. Ree'. The name brought her mother to mind. "I'm glad you remember me, Doctor. I remember you from the celebration as being there to document the event. You recently received a Senate grant to write the official history of the rebellion."

"Galactic Civil War, but yes. I believe we did discuss my work briefly that night. Why the interest, Mrs. Ree?"

"I would like to apply for a job as one of your assistants. I checked your website on the Holonet and it said the best way to determine what I need to apply is to call you. What would you like from me, Dr. Cricklin?"

The doctor hesitated. Her hazel eyes zeroed in on Ciena's expression, seeking to determine whether or not she was serious. "You want to work for me? That's… quite a departure from your previous line of work, isn't it?"

Ciena had anticipated this. "Not as much as you might think, Dr. Cricklin. Shortly after the Battle of Endor, one of my official duties was to record the survivors and casualties of the battle for the Empire's records. Thousands of lives were lost in that battle. The Empire needed exact records to know whose families to contact and whose life insurance to offer the descendants… back when they still had the ability to provide such a thing."

"I see. I believe they also used those records to determine who should have survived the battle and yet could not be found among their troops. On top of the uses you mentioned, those lists were also used to track down deserters. I'm familiar with such records." Dr. Cricklin pulled the files up on her datapad. Her long fingers wrapped around the device as her eyes scanned the page. "Would you mind if I asked you a few questions about your work on this project, Mrs. Ree?"

"Ask away, Doctor."

"First, to clarify. When were you an active participant on this project?"

"Not immediately after the Battle of Endor, but once I was healthy enough to work on base. I did this job until I was promoted to Captain of the Inflictor shortly before the Battle of Jakku." Ciena gave Dr. Cricklin the exact dates.

Dr. Cricklin scrolled to the relevant part of her records, shaking a tendril of hair out of her face. "Ah. I have this section highlighted. I remember an intern bringing this to me now. Mrs. Ree, are you aware that over a dozen of the individuals you listed as casualties were confirmed as alive by the New Republic? You accepted a very low barrier of proof to declare an Imperial soldier dead, Mrs. Ree. The only people you marked missing are those who undeniably survived the battle. Thanks to your actions, several dozen individuals were potentially able to defect from the Empire."

Ciena paused. She didn't know where Dr. Cricklin was going with this. "I am aware that some such cases exist, yes. I remember reviewing the battle footage. I…I did give some former Imperials the benefit of the doubt following Endor."

"So these mistakes were intentional?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Explain."

"I… by the time I saw the second Death Star for myself, I knew I was on the wrong side. Too many innocents had been slaughtered by the first Death Star. The only justification I was offered for why such a weapon was necessary was that its power would prevent war from ever breaking out. By slaughtering a few billion on Alderaan, several billion would be spared the pain of a drawn out civil war." Ciena steadied herself, doing her best not to become too emotional. "That did not happen. The Death Star project was a failure. When I saw the second Death Star unveiled, when I took a personal role in ensuring the Rebel Alliance came to Endor for what was meant to be a final confrontation, I knew the story I had been told for over four years had been a lie. The Empire wanted to inflict massive casualties for reasons no moral person could find justifiable. I knew that if I felt this way, I must not be the only one.

"After the battle was over, I was not personally able to defect for… for various reasons. But just because I couldn't leave the Empire didn't mean I would stop others from leaving. When it became my job to record the aftermath of that battle, I… I looked the other way for some dubious death scenarios. I hope those deserters were able to find a life outside the role the Empire cast them in."

"Many of them did." Dr. Cricklin studied Ciena with fascination. "One of the most notable deserters of Endor is Sinjir Rath Velus. He now works for Chancellor Mothma as one of her most trusted aides. He may well owe you his freedom, Mrs. Ree."

Ciena nodded. "I'm glad to hear it."

Dr. Cricklin didn't respond right away. She was still searching her datapad to see whether or not the name Sinjir Rath Velus had actually been logged during Ciena's tenure. It had. "Why, I believe you may actually have saved this man! Perhaps you two might meet someday. Hanna City is smaller than many offworlders seem to think. We are unlike Coruscant in many ways."

"I wouldn't know. I haven't lived here long."

"Oh? Where are you from, Mrs. Ree?"

"Jelucan. It's in the Outer Rim," Ciena added the last part for clarification.

"Why, I'm not familiar with that planet. I'd certainly love to hear more about it. You're a fascinating young woman, Mrs. Ree. Would you be willing to sit for an interview to benefit the project?"

"If… that is one of the duties you would require of me as an assistant, then yes." Had the doctor forgotten why Ciena was calling? It was starting to feel that way. "I will help you document the truth of the war in whatever capacity you will have me. I mention my previous work with casualty records specifically because I know you are in need of people for that position. I would be willing to resume the task here on Chandrila."

"Oh, right. You want a job from me. Well… hm." Dr. Cricklin put her datapad down, adjusting her red-framed glasses with one hand. "It's not an unwillingness on my part, Mrs. Ree. You certainly do seem qualified. It's just that the grant I received did not go to me personally, but rather to my institution. I am only allowed to hire assistants outside the network of participating university history departments if I do not receive enough applications from those select areas. At this time, my project administrator believes I have enough assistants already. He's wrong, of course; an undertaking of this magnitude requires a staff of hundreds or thousands, not mere dozens! But I'd still have to convince him to let me add one more person to the payroll. Even if I did, you wouldn't get paid much, Mrs. Ree. Is that alright?"

Ciena's heart sank. "I expected that might be the case. I'm sorry to disturb you, Dr. Cricklin."

"Now, Mrs. Ree. I didn't say no. I will talk to the administration about potentially hiring one more person. They were kind enough to leave hiring decisions up to me, so your past won't be the issue here. I won't let it. Trust me when I tell you this is purely a numbers game."

"I believe you, Doctor. Please let me know what your supervisor says."

"I will contact you as soon as I am able, Mrs. Ree. I have an appointment with her today. What is the best way to get in touch with you?"

Ciena gave Dr. Cricklin the number for her new commlink. "Please let me know what she says, regardless of the final decision."

"I intend to, Mrs. Ree. I would certainly like to know more about you in the near future. Wish me luck, dear!" And with those last words, Dr. Cricklin hung up.

That went better than Ciena had expected. Dr. Cricklin seemed genuinely interested in her, if not purely for employment purposes. She didn't want to get her hopes up, however, so Ciena remained noncommittal when Thane asked her how things had gone. Unfortunately, he took her reservations as a sign the interview had gone poorly and did everything in his power to cheer her up on their way to rent a flight simulator.

When they got to the shop Thane had mentioned, they discovered they could only reasonably afford the oldest model, one of the same models that the simulator Thane had owned on Jelucan. Thane's dismay was palpable, but he tried to dress it up in nostalgia. "Now it'll feel even more like our childhood!"

And it did. For that one hour, Ciena felt like her younger self again. Thane was her perfect copilot. Together, they owned the skies. One advantage to flying a simulator versus a real ship was that there was a way to select "no ship traffic" in the simulation. They flew around Chandrila without a care in the world. Ciena couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so liberated. It was hard to give the simulator back at the end of their time.

"That was amazing! I missed flying with you," Thane said as they walked back. "You're still the best pilot I've ever flown a ship with."

"I feel the same way." It wasn't just Thane's skills as a pilot, though those were also impressive. No, it was the way he understood her in the air. They didn't have to use words in the cockpit. They both just knew what the other person wanted and did it without hesitation. When Ciena flew, and especially when she flew with Thane, she didn't think about their years apart or any current problems they were facing. Inside the simulated cockpit, it was just them and the skies. A shame the rest of life couldn't be like that.

Ciena stopped walking on their way to find food. She embraced Thane in the middle of the sidewalk, not thinking about anyone or anything else as she did. "Thank you, Thane. That was exactly what I needed. I'm glad we got to fly together before you leave."

"So am I. I love you, Ciena."

"I love you, too."

Ciena maintained the embrace for as long as she could. When Thane pulled away, her smile broke out into a full beam for the first time in ages. Thane returned her expression, eyes shining with adoration and pride. "I'm so glad you're here."

"I am too." Ciena had more to say, but her commlink beeped at her before she could get the words out.

She held the device up to her lips. "Hello. This is Ciena Ree."

"Mrs. Ree! I'm so glad to catch you again so soon. This is Dr. Cricklin. I have news for you about the matter we discussed earlier as my assistant."

Thane's eyes widened. Ciena fought down her own excitement before responding. "Yes, Doctor? How did your meeting go?"

"Splendidly! I told the administrator I wanted you as my assistant even if it meant the money came out of my own salary. You, Mrs. Ree, are a special sort of woman. I'd be ashamed to let you go before I had a chance to learn and record your story. Something tells me it isn't over yet, either. So what do you say? Come by my office next week?"

"Of course, Doctor! I will be there. Thank you so much, Dr. Cricklin."

"Good, good! Be prepared to start right away and bring your identification. There will be a lot of datawork. Ta ta for now!" As before, Dr. Cricklin did not wait for a response before hanging up.

Thane pulled Ciena in for another embrace, pressing the commlink up against Ciena's chest. "Amazing! I knew you had it in you, Ciena. Dr. Cricklin sounds like a good boss."

"I… I hope so." Ciena was feeling overwhelmed herself. If she added her time in imprisonment, Ciena hadn't worked in almost two months. That may not seem long to some, but it'd felt like eternity for Ciena. Even when she'd been recovering from Endor, Ciena hated being idle. She needed work in her life for structure and balance. Maybe now that she was getting a job she didn't yet despise, that feeling could return to her life.

Of course, with each opening door came a closing one. Before Ciena's first day at work, she would have to say goodbye to Thane once more. She'd grown so attached to him in her first three weeks on Chandrila that she struggled to imagine the planet without him. She pulled away to look him in the eye, a mixture of emotions in her own.

"Once I ship out, I will call you the second I am able. When that happens, you will tell me all about your new job. I want to hear every detail." Thane took her hand (and comm) in his, squeezing the device tight around her fingers. "And I do have some friends sticking around on Chandrila. Now that they've met you a couple times, maybe I can talk them into checking on you every now and then. If you'd like that, of course."

Ciena blinked. If they were the friends Thane was thinking of, she wasn't sure they'd agree. "If they'd be okay with it, I mean. They don't have to. But… I would like company, especially the first few days you're gone."

"Then consider it done," Thane declared. "Things are really starting to come together here on Chandrila, aren't they?"

"I think so."

* * *

**A/N's:** **This chapter is both longer than I expected and did not cover as much ground as I anticipated. The more I write this fic, the longer I'm thinking it's going to turn out. This is Master of the House all over again.**

**But yay, Ciena has a job! I did briefly consider getting Ciena a spot on the crew of Thane's favorite Wookie friend, but the rest of my plot requires Ciena to (mostly) stay on Chandrila for a while. So even though that job would fit her better, I had to find something else for her. The real intrigue starts in a chapter or two.**

**Thanks to everyone for reading! I hope you all are doing well. Now it's back to updating my Thraro fics.**


	5. Chapter 5

(My) Love Shall Set You Free

Chapter Five

Watching Thane ship out was a horrible experience. Ciena thought she'd be able to handle it. She thought she'd be able to accompany him to the hangar without crying. She failed.

"No, hey. You don't need to cry." Thane took her into his arms for the thousandth time in three weeks. If he was tired of needing to comfort her all the time, he didn't show it. "I'm not gonna be reckless anymore. I have someone to come back to now. I have someone to call every chance I get. I'll try to call you at least once before you start work. Just to let you know I'm safe."

Ciena nodded, trying everything she could to stop sobbing. "You need to live, okay? I need you. I can't… I can't lose anyone else."

By now, the other New Republic soldiers were staring at them. There weren't that many returning to duty the same day Thane was, nor was Ciena the only one shedding tears at their departure. No, they were staring because they had figured out who the pair of them were. No one was happy to see an ex-Imperial in a New Republic hangar.

Ciena withdrew from the embrace. She needed to pull herself together. "You're not fighting warlords in the Outer Rim anymore. You transferred."

Thane nodded. "To the Circarpous sector, yes. It's in the Expansion Region."

"You said it's not as dangerous there?"

"It's not, I swear. The Empire abandoned the sector eight months ago. My job is to keep crime syndicates and other nasties from taking over in their absence. Mimban still has a heavy mining industry that the black market would be thrilled to claim as their own."

Ciena hummed. Crime syndicates could be every bit as dangerous as Imperial fighters. She'd skirmished with more than a few in her day. "The New Republic wants those mines as well, I take it."

"They want the Mimbanese to decide for themselves what government they desire and what direction to steer their economy in for the coming years. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mimbanese continue to export their natural resources, but the final decision is theirs to make," Thane explained to her in a lecture reminiscent of several previous discussions. For someone who believed all governments were the same and that corruption existed everywhere, he sure spent a lot of time reminding her of all the ways the New Republic wasn't the Empire.

She assumed he did it for her. Thane knew how Ciena recoiled at the mention of her Imperial service, and he wanted to show her that he wasn't walking down the same path she had. His service was something he could take pride in.

"Listen to her question him. He broke that Imp out of prison to be his wife. The least she could do is act grateful," Ciena overheard an older woman say to her departing soldier. Based on their ages and similar appearances, Ciena guessed the pair were siblings.

Thane nudged her until she faced him again. "Don't listen to them. This moment is about us." He kissed her on the forehead. "I leave in a few minutes, but I will come back. This deployment is temporary. Our marriage is forever."

Ciena leaned into his warmth, her body pressing against his as much as possible given the bulk of his pilot suit. She tilted her head up so their lips could touch. "I love you."

Thane leaned in for the kiss, and the two spent his last few minutes on Chandrila locking lips. Given the way they kissed, a passerby would think they hadn't utilized their honeymoon at all.

Ciena gasped, swept away in the twin tides of emotion and sensation. She didn't hear the whistling at first. It wasn't until a different soldier approached them that she noticed.

"Dang, Kyrell. Now I get why you went fishing through war prisons for a wife. If the Imps I knew put out like that, I wouldn't be here."

Thane broke away from Ciena, scowling. "Kriff off, Jaxon."

Right as he said that, the last call for departing soldiers to the Circarpous sector went out. Both Thane and Jaxon the wolf-whistler had to load up their X-wings.

Ciena forced herself to pull away first. She needed Thane to know she would survive Chandrila without him. He was the one flying off into potential warzones. Not her. "Goodbye, Thane. I love you."

Thane gave her one last peck on the lips before running off. "I love you too. I promise to stay safe. Take care of yourself."

"I will," Ciena called out as Thane rushed over to his ship. He got a stern glare from the traffic controllers for delaying, but nothing too harsh. They were used to seeing people struggle with departure. Soldiers were allowed to have their loved ones see them off for a reason.

Ciena stayed and watched as Thane performed his preflight checks. When those were over, he boarded his X-wing and waited for the signal to roll out of the hangar. She lingered until his ship had taken to the air and was too far away for her to make out its entry into the atmosphere. Once Thane broke away from Chandrila's orbit and was in position to jump, he would be careening towards Mimban faster than the speed of light.

She waited in the hangar for a moment. It was only the suspicious glares of Republic servicemen that motivated her to leave the spot. Ciena wagered they'd had at least one pair of eyes on her for the entire exchange just in case she tried to sabotage the hangar.

Despite the heavy traffic outside, Ciena's ride home was desolate and silent. Even with no roof on the speeder, she remained closed off from everyone else. The whole way back to the apartment, Ciena felt like the space beside her was missing a person.

She didn't think she'd ever had a feeling exactly like this. The closest thing she could compare it to was when she and Thane had received assignments on different ships after graduation. At least then she'd been excited about her new job. Now she just felt… it was irrational to say abandoned, but that was precisely the emotion churning inside her.

That sense of abandonment persisted throughout the rest of Ciena's day. Despite the growing mess in her now single apartment, Ciena made no effort to clean up the mess. She ate little and went to bed with an extra blanket to combat her newfound sense of cold. The apartment became her new prison cell for the next three days. Reason told Ciena that she could leave at any time, but emotion kept her from crossing the threshold. It wasn't until she ran out of food that Ciena dared brave Hanna City on her own.

Shopping alone was awful. When Ciena was with Thane, she was able to focus her attention away from the attention of strangers and onto him. Nowadays, her attention had nowhere to go. Everywhere she went, Ciena was convinced people knew who she was. They'd read that horrid article and recognized her from her mugshot. Everyone in the New Republic hated her for daring to live among them. She kept her hair down and wore bright, civilian colors to confuse them, but it was obvious no one was fooled. Republic men in and out of uniform stared Ciena down as she went about her business.

What if some extremist attacked her? Ciena had been a reasonable fighter at one time, but she'd lost her step since Jakku. For her month in prison, Ciena had used the exercise yard more as an excuse to leave her cell than to stay in shape. She hadn't worked out at all since coming to Chandrila.

That was something she could do before her job started. The first days were bound to be the worst, but Ciena refused to be defenseless. She'd been ridiculous to rely on Thane for protection. If she couldn't fly anymore, her physical abilities were the next best thing she had left from her time as a soldier.

Ciena's prediction came true. Her first day back at the gym was pitiful. She'd come in convinced she could use her old routine only to cut it down to half. She returned to her apartment an exhausted wreck. Showering helped... minimally.

When Ciena left the shower, she noticed a light flashing on her comm. A message.

She pounced on the device, ignoring her body's protests. Ciena's eyes barely registered who had left the message before pressing play.

_"Hi, Ciena. I just want to let you know that I'm settled on base. I patrol the sector in my X-wing with a partner for the foreseeable future. I'm sorry I missed you this time. I don't expect you to wait all day by the comm, but I was really hoping to catch you the first time I had a chance. If you could call me back on holo in three days from now the hour before holocomm access in our complex ends, I would love to talk with you. I miss you already._

_"Good luck at your job tomorrow! I love you."_

Ciena set the comm back on her nightstand, hands shaking. Seven minutes. She'd missed her chance to talk to Thane by seven minutes. Of course the one time she tried to do something else with her time was his one opportunity to speak with her.

She stumbled back into the bathroom, picking her towel up off the floor. Ciena shouldn't be so hard on herself. It was one time. She would have other chances to call Thane while he was deployed. If they could go years without contact during a more dangerous war, Ciena could go three more days without hearing from him now.

In the interim, she was grateful for Thane's reminder about her job. Ciena had an idea of where she needed to go to meet Dr. Cricklin, but she ought to review the map she'd received to be sure. Now that she had a definite task set out for her, Ciena partially regained her ability to motivate herself. She set out her identification, her clothes, her keys... everything she would need tomorrow.

A job would be good for her. Ciena needed something to come into her life after everything that had left.

* * *

"Mrs. Ree! So glad you could make it." Dr. Cricklin met her at the speeder lot to her university's administration building. Ciena had left an hour early, but traffic and navigation of a large city proved challenging, meaning Ciena pulled up at exactly the time Dr. Cricklin had specified for her.

Ciena smiled at the elderly professor as she pulled the necessary items out of her speeder. "Dr. Cricklin. Thank you for meeting me outside. I wondered how I was going to find you on this campus."

"It's a big school, definitely. The office we're headed to isn't the easiest to find either. This building has been renovated so many times over the years that the numbering system changes mid hallway more than once. Walk with me, dear." Dr. Cricklin gestured for Ciena to follow her inside. She chatted about the building's history all throughout their walk. Ciena's part in the conversation was to verify she was still listening. Dr. Cricklin was a typical boss in that regard.

The pair stopped in front of a door/window hybrid at the end of the third floor hall. There Ciena met the administrator Dr. Cricklin had spoken with about hiring her. Ms. Dunning missed no opportunity to emphasize how happy Dr. Cricklin was to bring Ciena onboard. "Sara here is thrilled to have you, Mrs. Ree. Being the project director comes with so many important hiring choices. I do my best to help Sara here, but all I set are the numbers. Who Sara chooses to fill those slots is ultimately her choice. She can hire from her own students, the best and brightest historians our partnering universities have to offer, or… other sources." She handed her a datapad. "Top three forms are for you. Scan your ID to begin."

Ciena leaned down to fill out the datawork, not responding directly. The conversation continued as she worked.

"Oh Lina, history doesn't belong to the ivory tower. It lives inside every person who's ever sat in front of their grandparents by the fire to hear stories, who has visited structures from a bygone era and marveled at their design, who has lived through the worst things war has to offer and still makes the choice to live a normal life." She turned to Ciena. "Let Lina know when you're finished, dear. Then she can upload you into the system. We'll walk over to the campus library while she does that."

Ciena nodded in acknowledgement, trying not to mull over the compensation section. Her first post in the Empire had paid better than that. Her monthly paycheck would be just under a third of Thane's. She had to remind herself once again that money wasn't the main reason she was taking this job.

Money wasn't all that mattered, after all. More important was the work Ciena did. Since when had she become so materialistic?

After scanning the digital pages once last time, Ciena affixed her signature to the bottom of the forms. She handed the datapad back to Ms. Dunning. "Thank you for your help, ma'am. I look forward to helping the New Republic tell the truth about this war."

Ms. Dunning took her device back from Ciena, careful to ensure their hands didn't touch. "I will get this in our system right away. She's all yours, Sara."

Dr. Cricklin applauded. "Wonderful! I'm sure Mrs. Ree will call you if there are any problems."

The pair left without another word. Dr. Cricklin continued to babble on their walk to the library, which rested a half kilometer away in a different section of campus. Ciena wished she could say the university reminded her of Royal Imperial, but the relaxed nature of the students she observed would never have fit in there.

Once they reached the computer lab within the library, Ciena learned that her job would be extremely similar to the reporting she'd done for the Empire. Her duty was to go through battle footage taken mostly from Imperial buildings and ships (no one else filmed regularly) and compare it to existing records. The main difference was that instead of focusing only on Imperial presence, casualties, kills, and desertions, Ciena was now expected to collect that information on rebels, rebel allies, and civilians as well. Instead of each side of the war getting its own database, reports were to be sorted by battle/skirmish.

"Once you have those uploaded into the database, our friends in the data analytics department will sort the files and apply their search engine. When our project goes public, people will be able to search their friends and relatives by name and track their role in the war. They can also search by ship, squadron, legion, or unit."

Ciena nodded. "I can think of a lot of people who will appreciate this. This project sounds very… transparent."

"It is, dear. The New Republic Senate may have ordered this project, but it's not only for them. They want civilians and planetary governments to make use of it as well. Governments everywhere can use the information we provide to award reparations, death certificates, pensions… all the things that are difficult to keep up with for a state in transition. Sometimes datawork gets damaged or destroyed or lost in fighting, and it's such a pain to put everything together again."

"That's true." Ciena remembered something that had come up in her interview. "What do you want me to do with unclear footage? If someone only might have died, what should I say about them?"

"This time, be as optimistic as possible about people's survival. We never want to tell a family their beloved relative is dead unless we are absolutely certain. You will be able to label people 'suspected casualties' instead of 'confirmed casualties', but try to use 'survivor' whenever possible. One of your coworkers is in charge of tracking down survivors to request their testimony." Dr. Cricklin smiled. "I know most people will refuse, but any documented experience of the war is valuable. Selection comes after compilation in an undertaking as massive as this."

Ciena blinked, orienting her mind to the true size of what this project was seeking to accomplish. "How much did the Senate set aside for this project?"

"A million and a half credits."

"That's nowhere near enough."

"It never is, dear. Most of my interviewers are students traveling abroad for class credit. I have other assistants writing grant applications to private foundations. We make do with what we have." Dr. Cricklin sighed. "I hope you understand now why hiring you took a bit of shoving. I hope you find this work to be rewarding, Mrs. Ree."

Ciena offered a smile. "I think I will. I admire what you've set out to do, Dr. Cricklin."

"What we've set out to do." Dr. Cricklin returned her smile, twirling Ciena's ringlets with her free hand. "Welcome aboard, dear."

So began Ciena's first nonmilitary job. For five days a week, she spent close to all her daylight hours inside the library of a university she didn't attend, talked to almost no one, and crouched over a computer trying to make out ranks, insignia, ship identifications… anything that might offer her the name of the people she watched kill each other.

The Empire was the easiest. Many of the soldiers she was meant to identify had already been mentioned in other sources (read: service records), and their uniforms were what Ciena was most accustomed to picking out. The Empire had believed in consistency and always wanted their men to be identified with ease, from hardened general to new recruit. Picking Imperials out reminded Ciena of her recovery days though, which is why she always did them first and moved on to the others as quickly as possible

Ease of identification was not a trait Ciena could attribute to rebel soldiers, whose uniforms and markings were far less consistent. When Ciena herself had fought in the war, she'd identified the relative rank of enemy fighters by their behavior and flight pattern more than their appearance. That strategy may still tell her who commanded who, but it rarely offered her any names. The earlier in the rebellion Ciena examined, the harder it was to find records on official squadrons or who may have been a part of them. Some of the rebels weren't even part of the main alliance. They operated in our own domestic cell that may or may have not have joined Chancellor Mothma's forces at a later time. Ciena understood that was the nature of the rebellion, but it made her job far more difficult.

And don't even get her started on the civilians. It was depressing how few of those Ciena could identify. She had the (again: mostly Imperial) citizen records of who lived in the areas where fighting occurred, but they gave her little insight into who may have been caught in the crossfire. Was that Ugnaught who died from a stray blaster shot the store's owner or someone running errands? When that thermal detonator demolished part of an assembly line and killed five, which workers had been on shift? Some of these reports had been drawn up during the war, but not all of them had survived. Even fewer were exhaustive.

Ciena felt her frustration grow with each passing day. These were sentient beings whose lives had been extinguished, and she couldn't do something as simple as name them. Names were the first step to preserving a person's memory, and she lacked even that much. She'd described her dilemma to Thane, who helped her acknowledge that perfection may not be possible in a job like this. It was a hard pill to swallow, but one he'd fed her as gently as he could. Talking to him on holo was the highlight of her week.

Faces blended together in the holograms as hours drew long. Ciena would think she'd identified a rebel only to realize she'd labelled three people with the same name. At least she caught her mistake before pressing upload.

Despite every frustration she encountered, there was one thing Ciena knew she was grateful for: she never worked on a battle of which she'd been a participant. Ciena walked by a coworker tasked with the Battle of Hoth once. She knew Dr. Cricklin had those records. Most likely, Dr. Cricklin had looked up Ciena's history and purposely avoided overlaps. It was a small gesture, but one Ciena instantly appreciated. She didn't know how she would feel if she had to jot down her own name into this database. Just the sight of that much familiarity would probably send her reeling.

Ciena's thoughts on familiarity stayed idle for the first few weeks of her job. The war was big enough that she didn't expect to encounter many people she knew. That is, until she saw him. The second invasion of Naboo. Her first sighting of him in almost a decade.

Thane's brother.

* * *

**A/N's: I hate to admit it, but this chapter is a lot of transitional material. I knew what I needed to accomplish here, but I don't know if I was able to make it interesting to anyone other than me. Conceiving of how Ciena navigates the world alone without prison or Thane, plus how the New Republic might go about forming their records of the war, was an engaging mental exercise on my end that leads into where I want this story to go. This story that gets longer and longer every time I sit down to write it.**

**Anyway, I hope this was worth the wait. Please enjoy, and let me know what you thought below!**


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